Diane Magras
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dianemagras.bsky.social
Diane Magras
@dianemagras.bsky.social
730 followers 280 following 480 posts
Award-winning author of the Mad Wolf's Daughter books and SECRET OF THE SHADOW BEASTS, all from Penguin Random House. She/her https://linktr.ee/dianemagras
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Diane Magras
mthrjo.bsky.social
Ok, did not expect “The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe” to feel quite so relevant to this moment.

Here’s Edmund, deciding to side with the leader who he’s been told disappears people.
He did want Turkish Delight and to be a prince (and later a king) and to pay Peter out for calling him a beast. As for what the Witch would do with the others, he didn't want her to be particularly nice to them - certainly not to put them on the same level as himself; but he managed to believe, or to pretend he believed, that she wouldn't do anything very bad to them, 'Because,' he said to himself, 'all these people who say nasty things about her are her enemies and probably half of it isn't true. She was jolly nice to me, anyway, much nicer than they are. I expect she is the rightful Queen really. Anyway, she'll be better than that awful Aslan!' At least, that was the excuse he made in his own mind for what he was doing. It wasn't a very good excuse, however, for deep down inside him he really knew that the White Witch was bad and cruel.
October 10, 2025 at 5:45 PM
dianemagras.bsky.social
I love seeing this quote because we're in a world where we need to remember this. We all have the potential of being good at what needs to be done to help our world be a better place. I haven't gone back and read this book for a long while, but I'm wondering now if it's even more relevant to today.
brennenarkins.bsky.social brennenarkins.bsky.social @brennenarkins.bsky.social · Dec 12
Awesome excerpt time:

"Amar?" Nora looked up at him from her blanket. "I know I'm good at this, but...I'm scared."

He found her hand. "I'm scared too - that never changes - but we'll be all right. Just remember: We're going to do this together."

- Diane Magras, SECRET OF THE SHADOW BEASTS
October 2, 2025 at 2:09 AM
dianemagras.bsky.social
Every once in a while, I get a Google Alert on one of my past books. this time, it was this amazing video by a young fan. To know that my work is still reaching its readers in this way is so fulfilling. (And what a great vid, too!)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEk2...

#MGLit #MiddleGradeBooks
Wacky Wednesday Review for Hunt for the Mad Wolf’s Daughter
YouTube video by Kristen Grace
www.youtube.com
September 27, 2025 at 11:34 PM
dianemagras.bsky.social
I had so much fun reading the ARC of @sarahjmendonca.bsky.social's wonderful debut, and gobbled it up yet again when it came out! So it's out, and here's my review. (And librarians and teachers: This is one that will fly off your shelves!) #MGLit #KidLit

www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Diane Magras's review of An Encantadora's Guide to Monstros and Magic (Encantadora, #1)
5/5: This is such a delightful book. I was fortunate to read an advance copy, and read it again once it had been published, which felt like a visit to a fascinating friend. It was impossible to put do...
www.goodreads.com
August 18, 2025 at 11:07 PM
dianemagras.bsky.social
I have always been a huge fan of those medieval scribes' wonderful imaginations.

www.openculture.com/2025/08/why-...
Why Knights Fought Snails in Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts
The snail may leave a trail of slime behind him, but a little slime will do a man no harm... whilst if you dance with dragons, you must expect to burn. - George R. R. Martin, The Mystery Knight As an...
www.openculture.com
August 18, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Reposted by Diane Magras
jamesmcconnachie.bsky.social
What questions should writers ask? Katherine Rundell nails it in ‪@thetls.bsky.social‬
May 29, 2025 at 5:14 PM
dianemagras.bsky.social
Happy #BookBirthday to @amybmucha.bsky.social for her absolutely delightful new #mglit GEO'S FORTUNE, about friendship, predictions, truth, and magic in a realistic world of cool natural stones.
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/777234...
Geo's Fortune by Amy B. Mucha: 9781682636718 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
What happens when Geo's fortune-telling scheme exposes what seem to be some very real manifesting abilities? Thirteen-year-old Geo Leoni desperately needs to earn some cash this summer, fast. So she ...
www.penguinrandomhouse.com
May 27, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Reposted by Diane Magras
engagereaders.bsky.social
KINGDOM OF DUST is a 2025 Children’s Africana Book Award honoree! I had no idea!

I’m thrilled that the committee felt my West African-inspired fantasy honored and respected Nigerian culture. 🙏🏾📚

cfas.howard.edu/outreach/cab... #CABAbooks @harperkids.bsky.social #QuillTreeBooks
Children’s Africana book Award honor chapter book Kingdom of Dust The Smoke That Thunders Flying Through Water
May 6, 2025 at 11:51 PM
dianemagras.bsky.social
On Wednesday, Flora will have been part of our family, the sole cat in this house, and beloved companion of her three human subjects, for ten years. And as you can see, she has not lost a wisp of her grace and beauty.
A brown tabby cat with a ruff sits in a contemplative pose, tail curved around her, on a rust-colored throw with a window to one side and the start of a stairway and a doorway behind.
May 6, 2025 at 1:14 AM
dianemagras.bsky.social
A beautiful summary of David Attenborough's favorite ocean experiences: "Young children playing on a beach today will live through perhaps the most consequential time for the human species in the past 10,000 years. They will grow up to see how this story ends…"
www.thetimes.com/life-style/c...
David Attenborough at 99: ‘I will not see how the story ends’
The natural history presenter, who turns 99 this week, has an obsession with sea life that began in boyhood. Here he reflects on his most moving encounters
www.thetimes.com
May 6, 2025 at 12:59 AM
dianemagras.bsky.social
So agree. This is one of my favorite novels ever.
perednia.bsky.social Lynne Perednia @perednia.bsky.social · May 6
A reason to celebrate! JAMES is a remarkable novel with a wonderful protagonist. #booksky #reading
npr.org NPR @npr.org · May 5
The 2025 Pulitzer Prizes were announced Monday afternoon. Percival Everett won the award for fiction for his novel James, a powerful re-imagination of Huckleberry Finn.
May 6, 2025 at 12:40 AM
Reposted by Diane Magras
tomgauld.bsky.social
‘The Comprehensive Bookshop” - my cartoon for this week’s @theguardian.com books.
Title: The Comprehensive Bookshop Image: an enormous, low building fills the frame, running almost to the horizon in a featureless desert. Captions: A ceaseless stream of delivery trucks flows from publishers' warehouses to an ever-expanding building out in the desert. Within, hundreds of miles of shelving hold copies of every book ever published. Customers arrive with authors or genres in mind, but the near infinite choice and maze of passages soon overwhelm them. Cars decay in the parking lot as their owners browse for months on end. The bedraggled figures who occasionally stagger from the exit are taken to a nearby hospital, but upon recovering, inevitably "Just pop back to grab a few more books."
May 4, 2025 at 3:18 PM
dianemagras.bsky.social
A starred Kirkus review for a fantastic monster-filled #MGlit heist! Check this out, friends, for another amazing book for classrooms, libraries, and kids' hands (Out on July 8, 2025): www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews...
AN ENCANTADORA'S GUIDE TO MONSTROS AND MAGIC | Kirkus Reviews
A desperate monster hunter gambles on a magical heist.
www.kirkusreviews.com
May 5, 2025 at 12:15 AM
dianemagras.bsky.social
I just gobbled up GEO'S FORTUNE, a wonderful new #MGLit coming out in a month: May 27, 2025. It's all about #rocks, #friendships, #magic, and #family. A warm, compelling, beautiful story that was impossible to put down.

Here's my review!
www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Diane Magras's review of Geo's Fortune
5/5: With a stellar opening line that feeds directly into the conflict, this beautiful middle grade debut is an utter gem. (Okay, a pun, but it's true.) The author dips into facts, stories, and more a...
www.goodreads.com
April 28, 2025 at 12:33 AM
Reposted by Diane Magras
catemcquaid.bsky.social
I weeded out the ways the current administration is targeting the arts – massive cuts at IMLS and NEH, threats to the Smithsonian Institution, interference with the Kennedy Center, and more. Plus, resources, actions, and steps to take. Hands off the arts! catemcquaid.substack.com/p/hands-off-...
Hands off the arts
A catalog of federal attacks on arts and humanities, and concrete steps to resist
catemcquaid.substack.com
April 16, 2025 at 4:47 PM
dianemagras.bsky.social
Like many authors, I have a day job. Mine's for a humanities council. On April 4, DOGE attacked our biggest funder, the NEH. Humanities councils nationwide are now without funding. If you care about history and the humanities, please contact your Congress members: www.statehumanities.org/action-ale
Action Alert: NEH Targeted by DOGE - Federation of State Humanities Councils
Save Our Humanities Councils: DOGE Cuts to NEH will Damage Cultural Organizations in Every State April 4, 2025 – UPDATE On April 4, the Federation learned—through our contacts and reporting … Read mor...
www.statehumanities.org
April 16, 2025 at 2:05 AM
Reposted by Diane Magras
chuckwendig.bsky.social
Also, libro.fm is great for audiobooks.
faithfalkner.com Faith K. Falkner @faithfalkner.com · Mar 10
bookshop.org - great deals and gives profits to bookstores
kobo.com - great for e-reading, not ecosystem locked
itch.io - by far the biggest payouts to artists and writers
daxaeterna.ink Dax, sapphic fantasy author @daxaeterna.ink · Mar 10
"I want to keep boycotting Amazon, but I also want to support indie authors. How do I do that?"

Many indie authors have their books on Barnes & Noble & Kobo! There are also places like Smashwords & Campfire that are almost all indie books! Itchio now has a THRIVING LGBTQ Indie Book Scene.
March 11, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Reposted by Diane Magras
gintszilbalodis.bsky.social
Ok, this is the last one
March 11, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Reposted by Diane Magras
kbport714.bsky.social
Just finished The Bionic Boy @lynnplourde.bsky.social and loved it! What a truly inspiring book about courage, friendship, and finding out “you CAN!”
@nancyrosep.bsky.social
Out in October
March 11, 2025 at 1:41 PM
dianemagras.bsky.social
Check this out, friends! This sounds so, so good!
alexandraott.bsky.social Alexandra Ott @alexandraott.bsky.social · Mar 11
Book news! The Wish Ring Cipher, Book 1 in the Codebreakers trilogy, features secret codes, magical artifacts, and an autistic protagonist. Coming in early 2026! 🎉📚🔎
Book deal announcement for The Wish Ring Cipher by Alexandra Ott, coming in 2026 from Norton Young Readers, and two more books in the Codebreakers series.
March 11, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Reposted by Diane Magras
watchdogprg.bsky.social
My mom outlived her savings - she was a bookkeeper and very thrifty. Then, Alzheimer's disease took the rest of her savings. Placing her in a home was the only choice for her care. $330 per day. Medicaid paid for that expense. It was a lifesaver. #ProtectMedicaid
warren.senate.gov Elizabeth Warren @warren.senate.gov · Mar 10
About half of all births are covered by Medicaid.

Over a third of all children are covered by Medicaid.

More than half of all nursing home residents are covered by Medicaid.

Republicans in Congress are making a big mistake targeting these families’ health care to pay for tax cuts for the rich.
March 11, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Reposted by Diane Magras
alicemercer.bsky.social
My husband had a massive brainstem stroke at age 57 and requires round the clock care. This has only been possible with Medicaid. He's survived for a decade so far. Quote and share your Medicaid/MediCal story if you have one.
watchdogprg.bsky.social Watchdog Progressive @watchdogprg.bsky.social · Mar 11
My mom outlived her savings - she was a bookkeeper and very thrifty. Then, Alzheimer's disease took the rest of her savings. Placing her in a home was the only choice for her care. $330 per day. Medicaid paid for that expense. It was a lifesaver. #ProtectMedicaid
warren.senate.gov Elizabeth Warren @warren.senate.gov · Mar 10
About half of all births are covered by Medicaid.

Over a third of all children are covered by Medicaid.

More than half of all nursing home residents are covered by Medicaid.

Republicans in Congress are making a big mistake targeting these families’ health care to pay for tax cuts for the rich.
March 11, 2025 at 11:04 PM
dianemagras.bsky.social
I'm not on social media much at all these days (busy with writing, family, day job, and recovering from illness), but here's something happy that happened in our house: Our son made bread for the first time. His choice: sourdough baguettes, using a bit of my starter. So delicious!

#Bread
Three baguettes, one already cut into at an angle, with glorious slashes, a few bubbles, and a rich array of shades from golden brown to a bit dark.
March 2, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Reposted by Diane Magras
talitherose.bsky.social
Please do not worry ~ I can help out here.

I’ve been enjoying this site for many years. They are *extremely* wordy, but that’s thoroughness for you 😅

And they do have weather data! As long as there are satellites 🛰️

www.severe-weather.eu
Severe Weather Europe
Global Weather News and Forecasts, covering the United States, Canada and Europe
www.severe-weather.eu
February 27, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Reposted by Diane Magras
jessicacalarco.com
Why haven't we seen more backlash against the GOP's proposed cuts to Medicaid? One reason is that people may not know they're on Medicaid, because Medicaid has different names in different states (see 🧵). Another is that some people may not realize that they (or their kids) could qualify.
larivera.bsky.social Lauren Rivera @larivera.bsky.social · Feb 27
Many Medicaid recipients do not know they receive it because Medicaid is called different things in different states. The public narrative of Medicaid focuses on a distant other, but 40% of US children and 60% of nursing home residents receive Medicaid. Just SOME of the names by state are below:
February 27, 2025 at 9:05 PM